Fact-Checking the 'No No No' Meme: Misattributed Lines and Real Origins
By Marcus Vance
Parallel to the dramatic denial is the hysterically mocking "no no no" laugh sound effect. This audio file features a man speaking rapidly in an amused tone, repeating rhythmic negations before dissolving into an uncontrollable, high-pitched, tea-kettle wheeze. It remains one of the top ten reaction sounds on global soundboard applications.
Digital communities routinely mistake this track for the late Juan Joya Borja, the Spanish comedian known globally as "El Risitas." Borja’s legendary 2007 appearance on Jesús Quintero’s show Ratones Coloraos launched thousands of subtitled parodies across YouTube. However, the specific, high-register "No no no" wheeze that took over mobile video stems from an entirely different audio genealogy: a 2014 video of a street performer in Africa, which was later mixed into mobile messaging apps across South America before jumping onto TikTok. Conflating the two became easy because both employ breathless wheezing as the punchline. This cross-contamination illustrates how distinct international clips coalesce into a singular, muddy collective memory.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
